Layers(16)

Realizing I haven’t eaten today I prepare myself a small dinner of goat cheese, artichoke hearts in olive oil, and some crackers.

“What’s up with your phone? Is it dead?” Tasha asks, approaching me, towel around her head, wearing her silk blue nightgown, her face still pink from the shower.

“What do you mean? Did you try to reach me?”

“Just about a hundred times, nothing serious,” she replies, her eyes dancing with disquiet. Recognizing this look of hers, I know she has something to share with me, and she’s thrilled about it, whatever it is. I pull out my phone from the back pocket of my jeans and find out it was switched off, probably for some time now.

“What is it? What’s with the I’ve-got-something-to-tell-you look, Tash?” I ask her, taking another bite from my cracker. I watch the tiny crumbs as they fall down on the counter and immediately brush them off. She leans against the mosaic pole that secures our kitchen counter.

“I was called for an interview at Stark Software earlier today.”

“Oh,” is the only thing I manage to articulate, all of a sudden feeling somewhat insecure. Perhaps Daniel is interested in her too … What’s up with me?

“With Mrs. Greenich,” Tasha emphasizes, as if reading my mind. I wince, feeling uncomfortable with my previous, embarrassing thought. Was I that obvious?

“I’m so happy for you. This is what you wanted.” I radiate content her way, still feeling a tad timid.

“Yes, I just hope I’ll make a good impression,” she responds pensively, her eyes boring into some point in space behind me. “Do you think it has anything to do with you and Daniel?” Her question hangs in the air between us for a lengthy pause.

“I have no idea. I don’t know what he wants or what he thinks. Besides, you’re more than qualified, so I don’t believe it has anything to do with him and me.” There isn’t really a him and me anyhow.

“You must be right.” She pulls down the towel and lets her dark hair fall in wet clusters on her back.

“I think I’ll have a shower too and go to bed,” I say, picking up some cracker crumbs and putting them in my mouth.

“I’ll alert the media,” she responds, making me snort.

“I’m watching TV, if you want to join.” She snuggles on our white sofa, pulling a deep purple chenille blanket on herself.

“Don’t think so.” I clear up the counter, putting my plate in the dishwasher, and head to the shower.

~~~

Lying in bed, I can’t help but think of Daniel. I fetch my laptop to check what my reliable friend, Google, can tell me about him.

About 33,100 results in under 0.23 seconds. I choose the Forbes link and the information immediately displays:



Daniel Stark

Net Worth $1.9 B as of June 2012.

Wow, baby’s got some dimes in his piggybank … zillions of them! I knew he had to be wealthy, but that wealthy? Judging by his appearance, you’d never even suspect he could be that rich. His laid-back simplicity, this special way he had about him, is much more attractive than his crazy loot.



At a Glance

Age: 34

Source of Wealth: Software, self-made

Residence: San Francisco, CA

Country of Citizenship: United States

Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, University of San Francisco

Marital Status: Single




Daniel Stark graced the cover of our 2008 billionaires issue, only to fall off the list in 2010. He returned last year, and his net worth continues to move up, as shares of his cyber security firm Stark Software Technologies have skyrocketed. His charitable endeavors include children’s hospitals and deal with issues ranging from new equipment to hospitalization facilities while maintaining interest in cancer research. Stark devotes much of his spare time to surfing and car racing.

And torturing young women in fictitious interviews.

As I finally put the laptop away, Daniel is all over my mind, his eyes, his wild-boy blasé, those scars that decorate his handsome face. When I fall asleep, the thoughts of him turn into dreams.

~~~

The room is pitch black. I blink, waiting for my eyes to adjust, and as I do I turn to check the time on my phone, remembering it was off. I turn it on, waiting for the clock image to appear. Two a.m. I need to sleep! Far from being able to resume sleeping, I pick up my phone and check out my Inbox. There’s an email from the magazine I’ve been waiting to hear back from. I open the mail reluctantly, thinking that if they wrote me an email it’s probably because of another delay rather than an official start day.



Dear Hayley,

I would like to invite you to a follow up meeting in regards to the position of assistant and content specialist you were interviewed for at YOU magazine.

Would June 6th at 12:00 suit you? Please let me know ASAP.

Best,

Josh Wilde, Executive Creative Director, YOU

I read the email again, hyper. Does this mean that the headcount matter is cleared and that I’ll start soon? I’m so thrilled I have the urge to wake Tasha, but I let her be. It can wait till the morning, exciting as it is.

I skim through the rest of my emails till I encounter those two letters, “DS”, which make my heart flip on sight. Curious and anxious, I hasten to read it. Not sure what entices me more: the current email or the previous one. I shouldn’t be this excited …